Survivors
by ErrorReport
Summary: This is a story about Faberry  Quinn/Rachel  and zombies brought about from a humorous conversation with one of my Fabbery-shipping Tumblr friends. Will be M in the later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: Okay, So I may or may not have forgotten to place a disclaimer in here before. What? Don't look at me like that with your cold, feely eyes. ಠ_ಠ Anyway. These characters do not belong to me. Also, I didn't like all my proper nouns, so I changed it up a bit. Yay.**

**glee © Fox, Ryan Murphy, not me**

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><p>A lone bead of sweat trickled down her forehead as her neck strained to show unbelieving eyes a wave of reality. Her hand clasped with another even tighter as her legs pushed forward. Blonde hair swept across her face in retaliation when she turned her attention back to the escape route.<p>

"Rachel, you have to trust me," her throat growled.

"Quinn… What's going on?" Rachel sobbed.

"I don't know," deadpanned Quinn. She looked over at Rachel who had been fairly blind since Miss Fabray had found her. Approximately a mile and a half of running later, Rachel Berry was still crying.

"What happened to them?"

"If I had to guess… Well, I don't know. I don't have one that makes any logical sense. Now be quiet for once, Rachel. You're going to wear yourself out," Quinn murmured. The only reply was a whimper.

_Don't worry, baby. I'll get us out of here._

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><p>Quinn glanced over her shoulder again to make sure there were no more walking corpses following them through the woods before she slowed to a trot. Forty-five minutes had passed since she had seen a walking corpse and forty since Rachel had stopped crying, so she figured that they had earned some rest. A hand wandered into her messenger bag, fumbling about for a bottle of water she had stored away. She gingerly unscrewed the cap and offered the other girl a drink before she, herself, took a sip.<p>

A very exasperated Rachel Berry accepted the gift. Shaky hands nearly spilled the drink before Quinn's hands soothed them. She released one hand to pull her trembling acquaintance into an embrace. Rachel jumped at the sudden contact.

"Hush… You'll be okay," she cooed.

"But, Quinn… What in the world is going on? What was chasing us? What happened to everyo—?"

A finger silenced the onslaught of questions. Even she didn't know where to begin. _The truth is always a good place to start,_ some part of her answered. _Here goes nothing._

"Sit down," she commanded to which Rachel folded onto the ground in a sobbing heap, pulling her savior down with her. She continued, "I think the dead are coming back to life. I know you must think I'm crazy—God knows I feel crazy, but I simply cannot think of another explanation for what's going on."

"Oh…"

An eerie silence filled the cracks between the two. Quinn engulfed the girl in a full embrace in an effort to dispel the unwanted air.

"Quinn, please don't take this the wrong way."

She froze, afraid that Rachel could feel her heart beating so quickly from the running and was misinterpreting it. She would have been misinterpreting it, right? Of course. Why else would her heart have been racing, especially considering the circumstances? Oh, no, what if there had been another reason for such rapid heartbeats? Fear is the only alternative explanation. Although, her heart wasn't beating this fast before, not even when they had been running for what seemed like eons. What could this possibly mean?

"You're going to spill the water if you get much closer to me…"

"Oh!" she yelped as she released Rachel altogether. "I'm sorry."

"Normally, you would have been perfectly fine, I assure you. It's just that I have this, and I fully intend to drink some while leaving some for you in return. This is exceptionally kind of you, Quinn. I just have one question…"

Anxiousness prickled the back of her neck. Her lips parted ever so slightly before Rachel continued:

"Why did you save me? Out of all the people you could have gone after first, you went after me. You could have gone to Puck's or Santana's or Shelby's… Oh, no! Do you know if Beth is okay? Why, Quinn? Why did you go after me instead of your own child?"

"Of course I made sure Beth was fine before I picked you up." She picked her phone out of the bag and showed her companion a text. "See? They're going to meet us a few miles north of here. Apparently Shelby watches as many horror flicks as I do. Finally something I did that's actually going to pay off," she scoffed.

"You still didn't answer me…" Rachel slanted her eyes in suspicion and befuddlement.

She looked away from the dark eyes and whispered, "You were the only person I could think about."

Rachel's grip around the water bottle relaxed a bit as she brought it up to her parched lips, unable to conjure any words she may have deemed appropriate in the current situation. She could only hum in response. After a few small gulps, she returned the mostly full plastic container to her companion. Quinn licked her lips and took a sip.

"Well," Rachel stood with as much pep as she could muster, "I best be off, then. Thanks for the help, Miss Fabray. I won't burden you any more with my voice, lovely though it may be, and my uncanny ability to take up half the supplies on your courageous endeavor." She turned to walk away.

"Wait! Where exactly do you think you'll be able to stay? I didn't save you just so you could throw away what little chance at life you have," the strong throat begged a little too loudly as she frantically grabbed at Rachel's sleeve. "I mean, really. Are you going to ignore the huge risk I took to get you here in the first place?"

She stopped. "I-I hadn't thought that far." A quiver shook her throat.

"You don't have to leave, Rachel. You're welcome to stay with me as long as you like. Please, don't leave me alone tonight. I need someone I can trust. I need… You."

At that confession, Rachel gawked at the desperation grasping her shirt sleeve. For what she thought was the first time, the blonde was actually _seeing_ her. As far as Quinn would care to admit, it was.

"Nobody will ever know how long I've waited to hear that," Rachel whispered so only she knew that the words had actually been spoken aloud.

"So, are you staying or not?" she asked with little hope in her voice.

"Of course. I've always been here, Quinn."

She moved toward Rachel who captured her in a hug. The tears that Quinn hadn't dared cry before poured from her. The warmth from the smaller girl's body sank in past her clothes all the way into her heart. She had been able to deny it before for a time, but now she couldn't reject the feelings she had for the beauty of a brunette who she was held.

"I won't leave you behind anymore," she wept.

A rotting moan sloshed through the blonde's sobs. Rachel's voice pierced the air. Adrenaline rushed through Quinn's veins. She grabbed the arm dangling uselessly in the air and started running.

"Come on!"


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own glee. Or these characters. Just my creys.**

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><p>Hushed footsteps rushed through the thick air. The smashing of twigs and dried leaves beneath their feet echoed in their ears, but no one else could hear the fire crackling in their heads. A sudden halt in the blonde's movements jostled the brunette. Eyes slid up to question the other member's hesitation. Overhead, the sky was blackening as though reflecting the death beneath it. Shallow breaths muffled the silence. A hand squeezed the slightly smaller one still in its grasp. The trees turned away to give the illusion that the forest was swallowing them whole without having to say a word. A whimper captured Quinn's attention.<p>

She gazed a Rachel, giving her an expression that inquired about the noise with a sort of patience that reassured her.

"Quinn..."

Her eyebrow furrowed upward.

"Where are we going?"

She sighed, reluctant to admit the truth.

"I have no idea."

"Then..." She huddled closer, bewildered by the curious revelation. "Should we stop for the night? It's getting dark, and I am one-hundred percent sure that I'll just fall flat on my face if we continue. It's a silly thing to worry about, but I'm sure that I'd just die of embarrassment if that happened so soon into our trek."

_Embarrassment?_

"Alright, Rach. Rest sounds nice." A bead of sweat trickled down her temple in agreement.

Rachel's eyes scraped over Quinn's arms as she removed the light, beige knitted jacket she had been wearing over the top half of her off-white dress which reached to cover her knees but just fell short. Her gaze landed on the outside of the former cheerleader's right arm that had donned a snarling purple bruise. The contrast with her fair skin startled Rachel, her mouth dropping open as guilt flooded out her throat.

"Where did you get that?" she exclaimed.

The bewildered girl in front of her startled Quinn. She looked down to where a petite finger pointed. Observing the dark violet blotch consuming her tricep, a dull pain creeped through her body. The day settled in her muscles like the bones hidden underneath the layers of tissue, and a slight throb in her skull intensified. She feared that her legs would collapse beneath her, so she gingerly sat on the damp ground. A chill flashed up her back, and she shook. She didn't notice Rachel's arms around her, nor did she notice when she placed her head in the crook of the neck before her. She only noticed that the pain had subsided and a faint smell tickled her nostrils.

Eyelids flickered against warm skin. Foreign lips grazed behind her ear gently in a manner not dissimilar to that of a small child delicately loving a small creature. A blush attacked Rachel's neck. She pulled back and observed the bruise by which she had previously been captivated.

"Where did you get that?" she repeated, nearly whispering.

"I..." Quinn started, but her eyes stopped on the lips before her on their journey to meet Rachel's gaze. "I think I landed on a rock or something one of the times I fell on the way to your house..."

"Oh..." she breathed.

The darkness which blanketed the two girls could not dim the light in her eyes as she continued to study the brunette's rosy lips, the gloss coating still evident from that morning's application. She did not flinch as the lips moved closer. At least, she thought they were moving closer. They were, weren't they?

_What's happening?_

A breath slid over her lips. She licked them in a nervous anticipation only to feel a peck above her brow. She found herself staring at Rachel's throat instead of the eyes she had been expecting. A peculiar question invaded the peace.

_Why am I disappointed?_

Rachel looked around over the soft, blonde hair for any immediate dangers. Calm breezes occasionally floated past the trees, stopping to watch the heap cuddling together, then moving on once their curiosity had been satisfied. The late October night had vanquished all the light of day, making scouting out the makeshift campsite a chore for the girl. She emitted a slow laughter.

"I suppose here is as good as any other place," she mused. Silence. "What did you bring in your bag?" Her arms gently extended enough to push the docile girl far enough back to look her in the eye momentarily. A lip dropped to expose the girl's bottom row of teeth as though she were preparing to speak. After a few moments without response, the one holding her removed both hands from her shoulders and took the liberty to look through her bag. Within the following seconds, smooth movements presented the two with an LED flashlight, three triple-A batteries, a Swiss Army knife complete with all eleven features that come with the Huntsman, eight nutritional bars, two packs of matches, a cell phone, a folded map of the area that was printed out from Google maps with directions from what Rachel inferred was Quinn's house to Shelby's, two and two-thirds filled bottles of water, and finally a single change of clothing—complete with a tee shirt, jeans, and undergarments.

As she held up the lace panties previously concealed by the bag, she blushed. Her arm thrust them back into the messenger back as she stumbled to regain her composure.

"You seem to be prepared. Good. I'm sorry I didn't bring... well, anything. I'm not much help."

A smile reached across Quinn's face. "I didn't exactly give you time to gather your things. I'm just glad that I got you out of there when I did. I don't know what I would have done with myself if I had let you die over a pair of underwear or something." Exhaustion evident for both of the girls, she continued, "Let's use our extra clothes for blankets. Sorry I kind of expected us to get to Shelby's by tonight. I don't know what happened."

"Earlier you said that you weren't sure where we were going... Do you think that we can get back en route?"

"Yeah. I'll... figure something out in the morning. For now, I don't think that I'd be able to think clearly enough to actually come up with a plan or do much of anything, really. I... don't know what's going to happen, Rachel."

"I know. I don't expect you to. We'll just have to get through this together."

_Together._

She lowered her eyes when she failed to suppress a grin. "I'm so tired. Can we just get some sleep?"

Her exasperated companion nodded in agreement.

"Yes, please."

After she placed the rest of the belongings into the sack—spare the extra clothes, Quinn settled into the leaves under her jacket which she had dropped not so long ago. She offered the girl beside her the extra shirt and jeans. Graciously, Rachel accepted. She nodded in approval and watched the other girl get comfortable. Once it appeared this goal was accomplished, she surveyed the site once more and closed her eyes.

"Quinn..."

Eyelids cracked, and she peered through the dim moonlight into those eyes near her that were darker than the night surrounding them. The glow from the emerald irises looking back lit the space between the two bodies. They were alone, but they were by no means lonely.

"Ye...ah?" she managed to mumble, trying to mask something unknown to even herself.

"Are you cold?"

"A little..."

"Come here," Rachel whispered as she scooted closer. She slid an arm under the short blonde hair and another around the waist hidden by the jacket, cradling the small of Quinn's lower back. "Is that... any better?"

Pushing her way through the brown hair, she growled contently into the warm neck. Her cold nose eased with the newly presented heat.

"Perfect."


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters.**

**Anyhow, someone who is quite observant may or may not notice that this chapter is roughly three pages instead of two. I've decided that this chapter shall have three pages, the next four, and all the remaining five. Or more. I suppose the length really just depends on how much actually happens in these little bits. Ramble, blah, rant-ahem.**

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><p>Quinn woke during the blackest time of night with arms still holding her. Steady breaths slithered over her ear, tickling it softly. Her head turned so she could face her keeper. With closed eyes and slightly agape mouth, Rachel mimicked the purest image of innocence one could imagine. She watched the sleeper, fascinated by how so much can happen in a day, yet someone can sleep so serenely. Eyes blanketed the contours of her face, down her arm, and over each smooth curve. Still unsure of their surroundings, she lifted her head to look around and listen.<p>

_We're completely alone._

A new sense of calm fell over her as she laid back down, her forehead nearly touching another. She stared at the lips that occasionally twitched before her. Minutes passed and hushed noises saturated the air. Soon these sounds became something resembling a word. Curiosity taking over her, she moved closer to decipher the message. She desperately tried to understand what the unconscious girl was trying to communicate. Even though Rachel was completely unaware of her own actions, they still claimed an unnervingly strong bearing on the listener. As though the next unwittingly spoken word decided her fate, she listened with great intensity. Hope overpowered expectation. She was waiting for anything but prepared for nothing.

"Quinn..."

Her name was enough. Without the promise of tomorrow, she didn't know if she would ever get this opportunity again. After pondering the valiance of her impending action for a mere moment, she concluded:

_Screw bravery._

A hand held the face in front of her steady as she placed a sincere kiss on sleeping lips. Fearing she might wake her friend, she released her grasp. She was content with her decision and wrapped the limp arm around her before she settled back into sleep.

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><p>Morning light weaved through the trees, ignoring the sleeping teenagers. After all, this was just another day for the sun. Nothing had happened to it unlike the disasters back on Earth where roughly one sixth of the American population, and one half of the Lima population, had been transformed into zombies in a mere nineteen hours since the initial contamination and fourteen hours since Quinn saved the girl who was clinging to her in a sleepy haze.<p>

Rachel squeezed her eyes shut tighter in a vain effort to dispel the unwelcome invader. When this proved ineffective, she nuzzled into the hair before her and tightened her grip around the other dozing party. The movement nudged the slightly larger form into consciousness. She commanded her body into a sitting position and stretched her sleep-ridden arms, demanding them to begin the day, too. Emerald eyes wandered downward to study the stirring lump of human beside her. When a few strands of dark brown hair fell onto the face, her hand reached out to tuck the hair behind the ear lurking nearby as though it were a common action. She stopped.

_I wonder if she knows._

The smile on her face reached down to her heart as a lazy hand flopped the hair back. One eye started to greet the morning. Quickly, she retracted her hand.

_She'd hate me if she knew._

"Hey..." murmured the munchkin. When another eye opened, a look of confusion crawled across her skin.

_Oh, God. She knows._

"You look like... a lion with your hair like that." She perked up, always quick to greet the morning once woken.

Surprised laughter cut through the fear. The feline-like girl reached up to feel that her hair did, in fact, resemble the mane of a lion. Giggles continued to bubble from the two hiding in the woods.

"Ha ha, come on, Jewfasa. We should get ready."

Rachel chuckled and nodded. She licked her lips in anticipation of speaking. Mouth open, a peculiar taste resembling berries remained fresh on her tongue. Understanding sank in. Her eyes widened, and her mouth snapped shut, fearful she might say something without thinking clearly. Sifting through all the possible questions and statements she could make, she tried to settle on a strategy.

Her gaze lingered on the attentive worker who was searching for something that could be used as a weapon. Quinn crouched to study a stick that could be sharpened into an efficient spear. It was long, not too wide, and difficult to break. Satisfied, she rose and saw her companion friend a fair distance away.

"Are you coming?" she laughed.

After listening to the rustle of the slightly frosty breeze rouse the branches overhead, she noticed the clenched jaw and abandoned her jovial grin. Panic drained the blood from her fingertips. In an attempt to hide the fear coursing through her body, she turned. Ashamed of her weakness, she reverted to what she knew was safe territory.

"Come on, Berry, we don't have all day."

The harshness of the words hit Rachel with an intensity nearly matching that of the realization of the secret kiss. She closed her eyes, trying to let the pain wash over her. The speaker stole a glance at the frozen girl. A hurt that was all too familiar on the face before her flooded the heart of the lion. Trying to mask the ache within her chest, she lifted her head as a show of pride, marched over to the stricken girl, and scooped up her pocket knife from the bag leaning against a nearby tree. Her face fell once she turned her back to walk away. Begrudgingly, she sat and sharpened the stick to a harsh point.

Finally, her acquaintance searched for another stick that could be used for a weapon. A worthy candidate caught her eye, and she brought it over to the diligent worker. A head turned to let tired eyes see who dare disturb her. A hand wrapped around the gift and accepted it without a word. Eyes flashed a fleeting apology just long enough for her to see but short enough to say:

"Don't speak to me about that."

Glaring light from the sun overhead shifted as an hour ticked by while the girls below continued skirting around painful questions while they prepared for the day ahead of them. Once they had accumulated two spears, four smaller sharpened sticks for close contact, and around a dozen rocks, they were nearly ready to begin their quest. Quinn looked down at the canary yellow dress with a floral design with dismay. She turned to the girl who was placing the rest of the rocks in the messenger bag. She observed her blue polka dot dress with small, white straps holding it up. Then, she crouched in front of her to capture her attention. A strong hand moved between them, and the two that had been in the bag pulled out. After she found the change of clothes, she handed them to Rachel.

"Go change."

A concerned face looked her in the eye.

"I'll wait for you. Now, go."

A sigh filled the air, then a scampering of feet left her alone. Nervously, she scanned the area for signs of undead activity. No hordes of zombies were coming to eat their brains. This moment of solitude allowed her to ponder her next plan of action because she obviously didn't have one earlier that morning.

_Why was I so cruel? She definitely hates me now if she didn't before. Ungh… Why am I so afraid of the way I feel? How… _do _I feel?_

The reemergence of the newly-clothed girl yanked her out of her thoughts.

"Ready?" she asked.

Quinn nodded in response as she gritted her jaw to keep any of her thoughts from escaping. Her cohort had no right to know what was floating around in her head.

"Let's go, then."

She started to reach for the small hand but caught herself, jerking back. Nervously, she swallowed and trotted onward. Once she got to the messenger bag, she placed it over her left shoulder and snatched the spears. With a huff, the huntress tossed one to her companion. Bumbling hands managed to grab hold of the weapon.

The slightly larger girl whisked through the trees, ready for whatever may rear its head. A snarl worked its way onto her face. She glanced back to see her companion doing a fairly good job keeping up. Glaring past the foliage, she set them on a mental pathway en route to exit the woods. They dodged low branches and fallen limbs. One particularly violent tree branch sliced from the bottom of the leading girl's chin up to just under her right eye. A small trickle of blood seeped through the wound. Trekking over hills and gliding down hills, they made their way through the forest. After roughly half an hour of this procedure, they emerged from the tree line to try to catch a glimpse of a street sign.

"Get back," she hissed, a hand pulling back Rachel.

Cautiously, they watched the zombie lurking in the middle of the street. The two girls slid down the nearest tree to hide from the danger prowling so close. A hand rummaged through the sack containing the supplies. She pulled out the folded map, wondering why she hadn't bothered to look at it earlier. She realized that she had just wanted to escape the questions that had been loitering around the campsite. Hands opened the map in hopes of discovering the way.

"Okay, we're on South Collett Street right by the Husky Lima Refinery. We're supposed to meet Shelby at Allen County Farm Park, which is only four and a half miles away, maybe longer if we stick to the roads. Now, I think that we should go up to East Elm towards the Twin Lake Reservoir. After that, we need to head towards the Lost Creek Reservoir. Finally, we need to head immediately north to the park. Any way we go, we have to cross over the highway, but that shouldn't be too bad if we just hurry. It shouldn't take us more than a few hours to get there, right? I predict that we'll get there at…" She turned on her phone and waited. _Wow. I'm just not on top of things right now. Pull yourself together._ When the phone finally sprung to life, she checked the time. "Well, it's nine o'clock now, so we should get there by eleven or twelve. No big deal."

A nervous smile pushed back her acquaintance's cheeks. She whispered, "That sounds exciting. I hope I can keep up."

"I already told you: I won't leave you behind. You're safe with me." Her eyes gave the girl an undeniable promise.

"Okay," was the whispered response. Still, she remained anxious.

Quinn softened. "Don't worry. I'll wait for you if I have to." _It's nothing new to me. I've been waiting for you for a long time and just didn't realize it. Please just wait for me to catch up with what's been going on in my head without my knowledge. _"Let's go."

With the swiftness of a cat, she darted just behind the treeline, occasionally glancing back at the road to make sure she continued to mirror it. More frequently, though, she looked back at Rachel to make sure she kept her promise.

_I won't leave you, _her mind repeated. _I can't leave you._

Footfalls scarred the soft earth that caressed the tree trunks over which the two were gliding. Together, they escaped the rotting corpses lingering so near they could smell them. The stench grew stronger. A scream shattered Quinn's hopes of escape. She turned. A freshly dead arm grabbed for the girl who struggled to stay ahead. Her clumsy foot betrayed her and snared on a root. More shrieks of horror and despair sickened the air.

A fierceness coursed through her protector.

_I won't leave you. I promise._

A roar shook through her body with such intensity that even the dead heard her cry.

"Get away from her!"

She sprinted to save the girl from the flesh that was groping to hold her. Gripping her own spear tightly, she thrust the point down into the eye socket before her as she grabbed Rachel. Her arm continued the barrage until the pulp that had been attacking the damsel ceased movement. She didn't realize that she had been screaming during the whole attack until the noise finally stopped. Embarrassment painted her face a humiliating pink.

_I almost lost her._

Secret tears cleansed her face after she released and turned away from her maiden. Not a single noise indicated that she was weeping for the reality that had just attacked them both. Once she was able to speak without her voice trembling, she cleared her throat and coolly stated:

"Let's get going."


End file.
